Machine for use in drying or treating photographic prints, films, and the like



May 1, 1953.v 1,453,554

I E. GRABER MACHINE FOR uss IN DRYING OR TREATING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS,

FILMS, AND THE LIKE Filed Dec'. 4. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v iwenfar El .Grafier I May 1, 1923. 1,453,554

' E.GRABER MACHINE FOR USE IN DRYING OR TREATING PHQTOGRAPHIC PRINTS,

FILMS, AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 4, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 u, I I: ma?

2 I 1/ I 1/ v1 51 if 00a: 9 anon: 333333:

1299000 I unnnm 03329093, I aonm I l I .E 6 aer by E. GR MACHINE FOR USE IN DRYING 0R TREATING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS,

FILMS, AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 4, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 S .9 ##orney May 1, 1923. 1,453,554"

E. GRABER MACHINE FOR USE IN DRYING OR TREATING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS,

FILMS, AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 4, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 1, 1923.

its is ELLIS GRABER, or runeernen WELLS, ENG-LAND- MACHINE FOR IN DRYING OR rniie'rriia' PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS, FILMS, AND

THE LIKE. l

Application filed December 4, 1922i Serial No. 604,937.

' treating photographic prints, films and the like,and it has for its primary object to provide a drying machine of improved and simplified construction, which will econo= mize space and be capable of dealing in a continuous and in a rapid, etiicient and automatic manner with a series of prints or length of paper or other material, such as delivered from a photographic developing and washing machine or from a roll.

In order that the present invention may be clearly understood and more readily carried into effect it is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying ings, in which:- I

Figural is a perspective View of the 1mdrawproved drying machine, with the side plates removed to better show the internal construction; v

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of said machine corresponding to the preceding figure; 1 e M *igure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the drum showing the gearing and the internal mechanism, and i Figure a is a detail sectional view of the hollow trunnion shaft of the drum showing the electrical connectionsleading therefrom to portions of two of the rollers one of which is shown in section. V

According to the present invention the improved machine comprises a series of revolving rollers a which are preferably internally heated and arranged between suitable side frames or guides or, as shown,,between a pair ofside plates or discs I) I) so as to constitute a complete or partial. drum or cage.- In the latter case the said drum or cage is preferably mounted, so as to turn about a horizontal axis supported by hollow trunnions a from plummer blocks or other bearings suitably arranged on or supported from a framework 6 of angle iron or other suitable metal or material. The drum b and rollers a may be operated from anysuitable source of power, the drive element'of the apparatus being indicated aswheel f. Conveniently the drum itself Z) would be rotated-at a slow speed by means of suitablereduction I v V gear1ng g,.h, i and y, and the rollersthemselves would be provided with sprocket wheels a. at their ends in engagement with a chain is which may bedriven by other suit- 7 able gearing from the, main driving means,

such as thespur wheels Zm at 0 p, the former of which Z is stationary, being loosely mounted on the hollow drum shaftb' and keptin position by part of the bearing being cut away, also part of the boss ofthewheel, thus forming a dog, and the latter wheelsfo p being mounted on a shaft 9 carried by the. drum plate I). These latterwheels obtain their movement by revolving round the fixed wheel. The rollers 60 are'preferably-heated in any desired manner and to any desired degree, as for example, electrically, ash ereinafter described I j i I In operation the photographic paper 1- or the'like to be dried would pass from the developing, fixing and washing machine (not shown) through "a suitable squeegee or pair of rollers adapted to remove therefrom the surplus moisture.

From thence the paper would pass over the upper periphery of, the drum a b in the. direction of the rotation of thelatten and it would be in contact with therevolving rollers a throughout a convenient portion thereof, say for one half or three quarters of its periphery, or in other words in contact with from six to nine of the revolving rollers; From thence the paper r or the like would pass over one or more loose rollers s driven by frictional contact with the paper, and up on to a frictiondriven winding-0n spool or reeler t driven bya belt tfrom theshaft 17 hereinafter referred to. This friction-driven .reeler 25 also serves to keep the paperr or the like in good contact with the hot rollers accord. ing to the amount of friction required, the speed being identical with the output of the developing machine' 7 In practice the paper. or the like to be dried may be passed from the washing machine say at therate of one vard perminute, and the arrangement issuch that the drum that of a far larger machine. portant feature of the present invention itself at which could conveniently be about one yard in diameter, wouldmake several revolutions per minute. Thus in its passage over the said drum the paper r to be dried would be broughtsuccessively into contact with the whole series of rollers a. several times, the surface speed of the machine being faster than the actual travel of the paper, the resulting drying capacity being equal to Another imapart from the differential speed oi the paper 1 and the drum a Z) consists in the arrangement whereby the heated rollers a are llowed a period of'rest from contact with the wet or damp paper or the like being dried, thereby giving them a chance to heat up orrecover before they come into contact with the'wettest portion of the paper 7 as it issues from'the squeegee or moisture-remov ing rollers. Thus the wettest portion of the paper 'or the like being dried comes into contact with thehottest of the rollers a,which latter as the drying process takes place gradually lose some of their heatand pass to that portion or the paper a which has been partly dried. Thus it"wi'il be seen that each heated roller does 'an equal share of drying,

which is a great advantage. 30 i A suitable cover or hood t" having an outlet u is provided to protect the machine and also to servefor the collection of the steam or otherw' ap'our arising during the drying process. The outletu should be connected with piping to draw the moisture out of doors. Thedrying process in addition to being effected by theli'eated rollers 61, may also be assisted by streams of heated'or cold air directed or blown on to one or bothsurfaces of the paper,'ashereinai'ter more fully described, and by' this means economy is also effected in the"consuinption of electricity, gas or the like'and a's'uitable' atmosphere is maintained in the workroom. Thisair may also be used toassi'st in maintainingan eiiicient'circulation'of air through the druma Z) and the cover or hood 25 and the elimination the moisture or steam. In order to still further assist in the extraction of moisture and'c'irculation of the air I may provide a pair ctr-evolving vanes e which are arranged one o'n'e'ach side'of a central division plate '0 and driven by a belt or the like 71 on a. pulley e on the countershaft 17. The air so used to'assist the drying is preferablydirected on to the paper 1" by means of the radially arranged distribution pipes 42 which'are disposed so as to deliver the air between the revolving'and heated rollers a so that itfdoes n'ot detrimentally'afiect their efficiency by reducing their temperature. Formaterials not requiring the same amount o'f"drying-'*as wet photographic card. i. e., gummed paper, coated paper and the like, the heat in the rollersa could be dispensed with,

the said rollers a being used only for sup-' and also when it is moderated to thevarious degrees. In the case where the'rollers a. are,

as indicated, heated by electricity the rollers themselves and the chain sprocket wheels a thereon would be insulated as by the shouldered sleeve to from the trunnion shafts or end spindles 1: upon which they are adapted to revolve, and the electric current leads 3 2 could conveniently be coupled, as shown in the lower portion 'ofFigz' a, so as to cause the current topass into the machine by suitable leads y 2 arranged within the hollow central trunnion or trim nions o and hollow shaft 6 of the drumby way of the terminals 10,11, to suitable-heating elements 12 arrangedwithin the said rollers a. The rollers and their heating elements 12' would also be so connected up on the end spindles w as tobe readily interchangeable, and the insulating bodies ofthe heating elements themselves which are I preferably connected up in series, would be provided with terminal s0ckets13 adapted to engage projecting spindles or pins- 14 provided as supportsin connection with the ends thereof. The hollow trunnion shaft or axis 1) of the drum a I) on the one side or the machine (not shown) would also serve for the introduction of the compressed hot or coldair {for "dryi'ng,'and'onthe'bther side, as described, ior theintroduction of the electricity, steam, gas, hot air o'r'the like where such'isused for the the heatin'gof the rollers a. By the means described and shown where the drum ab is electrically heated, no brushesor carbons needbe used for makingtheelec'trical connections. The machine itself can alsobe'made to epe ate bellows 15, or 'a dashp'ot by {means' et an eccentric I6 ona countershaft 117 anaconnections 18, 19 and thus provide the'supply lemm serves to counteractthe natural-tendency of the dried prints or paper 1* to curl up with the picture side inwards. It'will also be seen that the heated rollers a owing tothe fact that they themselves rotate and are ro-i tated: with the drum b serve to present a continuously changing .metallic'ironing,

treating photographic prints, film's and so. forth, the combination comprising a shaft at the same time by their arrangement which constitutes a duodecagonal drum, they cause" the paper 1- to flap up and down in a lateral plane without affecting its length with iregard to the feeding or rewinding arrange ments which still furtherassists-the"drying process. The use of rotating and heatedrollers a could also be adapted for glazing suitable paper if applied on'the face sideof the paper, as will be readily underst What Icl'aiin is 1; In a machine for drying and otherwise a pair of plates mounted on said shaft, a

' plurality, of rollers revolubly mounted between said plates, means for heating the prints-and so forth on their passage over the rollers, and driving gear for said shaft and said rollers, said rollers being driven at a peripheral speed which differs from the speed of the prints and so-forth around the rollers.

2. In a machine for drying and otherwise treating photographic ,prints, films and so forth the combination comprising a shaft, a pair of plates mounted on saidshaft, a

plurality of heated rollers revolubly mounted between said plates, the prints, films and so forth being adapted to be passed between the plates in contact with a plurality of said heated rollers, and driving means for said shaft" and said rollers, the rollers being driven at a speed higher than thespeed of movement of the plates, films and so" forth. 3. In a machine fordrying and otherwise treating photographic prints, films and so" forth the combination comprising a shaft,

a pair of plates mounted on said shaft, a plurality of heated rollers revolubly mounted between said plates, the prints, films and heated rollers. v

forth the combination with claim 2 of a hood extending partially over the said heatedrollers, and means connected to Sfi-lClhOOd" for the collection and withdrawal of vapour during the operation of the machine;

5. In a machine for drying and otherwise treating photographic printsffilms and so -mountedlbetweensaid plates,"drivingmea rfor'said shaft: and said rollers, alplurality 7 of T radial "pipes communicating; [with 4 j'said I p hollow shaft, and la plurality of perforated drying or polishing surface "to the WhOlGOf p the underside surface ofthe'paper, whilst T hollow 'shaft,-jradialpipes and er pipes'serving for directing "ai .prints,"films and soforthi'on;their-passage betweenthe plates and over'the rollersh", -j

6.' Aimachine"for/drying and; otheri'vi'se" w 5 shaft, a plurality of rollers "rev'olublypipes conneftedwo'seild radial li iliespaid:

treating photographic prints, film s and so)" forth ,comprisi-ngia fframeworlgfla hollow 0 i fshaft amounted in said framework, 'a 'pair of platesmounted on said-shaft, a-plurality i of rollers 'revolubly mountedbetweensaidf platesy gfiaring forsai'dshaft andsaid roll-2' 3 ers,-a plurality jof'vanes revolubly mounted 3 f in said" framework, ri'ving mechanisinffon said vanes a 'pluralityofradialpipes com i I municatingwith said hollow shaftfa plu-v if I rahtyof perforated pipesconne'cted 'to said radial pipes, bellows with means for connect v, j

ing said-- bellows tothehollow shaft,-- and" operatingmean'sforjsaid, bellows, said opera; ating 'eans being, actuated 'byth gearing for thezsha'ft and rollersl' j a ,7. Ina machinefordryingjand other 9 wise. treating photographic;prints,films, and

so forth," ,the" combination" comprisin 5 shaft, 3,. pair 'ofplates 'mounted' 'onsa'id shaft, a plurality.oftrunnio'ns on said plates,"

-aplurality ofrollers revoluhly. mounted on 0 L said trunnions, velectric heating. elements inounted inside's'aid rollers and supported by said trunnions, means-for supplying'a;

hea-tingcurrent to said trunnionsand to, the

heating elements, and means g'for rotating 5 the shaftiand the rollers. r I In a mach'ne for drying and'other- Wise treating photographicprints, filmsand so forththe combination comprising ahol 10w shaft, 21' pairof'plates mounted on said '1 a shaft, a-plurality of rollers-revolubly mount-1 edbetweensaid' plates, means for rotating the hollow shaft" and the rollers',a plurality of pipesirad'ially mounted around said shaftif I means for supplying -compressedi air-to'one" 5 so forth being adapted to be passed between a the plates in contact with a plurality of said heated rollers whilst the remainingrollers are notengaged by said prints and so forth,- and driving means for said shaft and said end of said hollow shaft, the compressed air being, adapted to ,dist'ribute'd 'over the" prints, films and solforth passing around, 1

the rollersfmeans for supplying aheating medium to theinterior of the rollers. 3'

wise treating photographic prints,lfi lmsfand so -forth, comprising in combination a f framework, a shaft mounted .in s'aid fra e; v

work, a pain of plates"- mounted on said i Y shaft,

21' pIurality of rollers irevolubl'y' mounted between said plates, said rollers and plates 'constitutinlga drum over which. 130,

for'atedi'i the prints and so forth are adapted to pass; means for revolving the rollers, means for revolving the cage, a winding on spool onwhichthe prints are adapted to beIwound,

means for frictionally-driving sai(l"spo01,'

.means for heating-the rollersyme'ans fordi rectingair on to the prints and soforth,

and means for extracting the vapour aris ing during the passage of the prints andso fort-h over the cage. i t

I "10. A ;machine for drying photographic paper comprising a framework, a shaft mounted in said framework, a pair of plates mounted insaid shalt, a plurality of rollers revolubly mounted between said'plates,sa1d

rollers andplates constituting a cage over',

which the photographic paper ispassed, (ilIVIDgIDQZLIlS for said cage, a plurality of sprocket' wheels mounted one onezich roller; 2:; sprocket chain passing round said sprocket 1 ,453 ,eee

pipes for directing air on to the paper.

eccentric mechanism drivenby the driving mechanism for the cage for operatingthe bellows, .a plurality of vanes revolubly mounted in the framework and driving? mechanismtherefor, and a hood on-"said framework covering some of the rollersgsaid I hood having an outlet through which vapours are adaptedto be removed.

In witness whereof lghave hereunto hand 1n presence of a witness.-

ELLIS GRABE a.

set my Witness HENRY FAT'RBROTIIER; 

